Symbolism was the point of the paper straw thing to begin with. We won’t see a reduction in single-use plastics until we get rid of the entire mindset of convenience culture. Plastics make it possible get the exact flavor of corn chips you like from gas station a state away from where you live at 2am. Plastics mean that flavor that only 2% of that local population like or would ever buy can wait on that shelf for 3 months until you’re craving it on a road trip. That entire way of thinking would have to be dismantled, and they need to fight us on this one little symbol to keep us from having that discussion.

Also to add: there are a bunch of applications we should be using plastics for. It’s a great material with some very unique properties that make it indispensable for certain applications. A great example a lot of people use actually specifically on the topic of straws is people with reduced mobility. Plastic bendable straws can give them a lot of independence in the process of feeding themselves and staying hydrated. Personally in my nursing practice, I specialize in the management of patients at high risk of violent behavior, and every time I show up to a code on another floor one of the first things I check for is that the patient’s meals are getting served on a “safety tray” which is where everything is made of flimsy plastic and Styrofoam so they can’t stab their care staff, wallop them over the head with the tray, or use the bowls as projectile weapons. Plastics are actually super handy, but getting rid of convenience culture would allow us to reserve them for the things they’re actually needed for.